TL;DR: Do most people only keep and play with one deck or is it common to have several decks?
I've been playing off and on since 4th Edition but only ever with my friends. This means I don't have much connection to the outside greater Magic community. I've never done any drafts or tournaments or anything like that. So, In the last couple years I've been reading this forum and others more and more to try to connect with the rest of the Magic world (maybe sometime I'll actually go play with strangers at a card shop lol).
Anyway, I've noticed that I see a LOT of people in these threads reference "their deck" when participating in discussions. It seems that most people only have one deck. Is this true? I have at least 10-15 decks at any given time and I don't consider any of them "my deck" in the sense that they're the only thing I play. That seems like it would get boring as hell. My assumption is that people pay strict adherence to the formats and so when they say "my deck" they mean within a given format? So if you're only a legacy player you would typically only have one legacy deck?
None of my decks really conform to any format which is why I think I'm having a hard time getting my mind around this. For example, I recently built a g/w deck from all Theros block cards... and 4 Savannahs. I guess technically its Legacy then, but it would get destroyed by any real Legacy decks.
That reminds me of another thing. I notice when most people discuss formats they always talk in terms of the specific known powerful decks in that format. There seems to be no room for what my friends and I call "fun decks." I know there is a casual section of this forum and stuff like that is discussed there, but everything else is discussed as either playable or trash (usually in reference to the known good decks in a format), leaving no room for discussion about a cards pure fun factor it seems like.
No idea where I'm going with this I guess, just noticing how different the online MTG community is from my playgroup.
This forum is really geared toward competitive players, which is why you see a lot of what you see. There's also a few reasons people send to have few decks;
A. Obviously price
B. Deck building for a competitive event is hard. Incredibly hard. Going rogue usually means intense meta knowledge, a really good idea, and a lot of luck.
C. There are some decks that take a LOT of time to learn. I've been playing death and taxes for a long, long time and still haven't perfected my play with it. There are just that many lines of play from vialing flickerwisp and bouncing all your creatures.
As for finding fun ideas though, I see that all the time in the deck building section! They're not usually optimal but occasionally they hit on a truly interesting idea. I do think part of it though is a lot of the sorta players you are looking for gravitate toward edh. There's just more flexibility and forgiveness in those builds. You're not on a turn 4 deadline like in modern haha.
It also depends heavily on the format. Competitive formats tend to see deck specialization not just because of price, but because it's often better to be really good with one deck than average with a bunch of them, even if that deck isn't the best. Casual formats (like EDH) don't really face that, so you can more easily have a bunch of different decks you're only average at playing. It's also a function of collection size. Like, I have a bunch of different Legacy decks since I've been playing for over a decade and thus have the collection to be able to put together a number of different decks. Someone with a smaller collection would be limited to one or two decks without incurring significant expense.
Also, I disagree with the implication that "competitive deck" and "fun" are mutually exclusive. Fun is extremely subjective, and many players consider competitive decks to be fun even if other players don't (in a general sense, why play this game if you're not having fun? So it stands to reason that their definition of fun is simply different than yours, and neither is any more objectively right than the other).
I myself have many decks. Turbo Eldrazi (Legacy), Elves (Legacy), Merfolk (Modern), Boss Sligh (Modern), Auras/Bogle (Modern), Affinity (Legacy), and Death and Taxes (Legacy). Sadly the closest I can get to Legacy is Modern so for competition play I'd play Boss Sligh (Modern) because I just love mono-red's position in Modern, in how it can answer almost anything, and how it's so cheap to build. That's why it's "MY DECK" because I play it in competitive play. The rest of my decks are casual decks, even though they are expensive, I play them in a casual setting with friends.
You can have many decks, there is no problems with that. Although if you are going to play competitively, definitely stick too one deck and work at it. It's just too difficult to practice with multiple decks.
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Modern: U Merfolk | GR Tron | WUR Jeskai Control | WBG Abzan Company
I think that when people say "my deck," it is a short way of indicating a deck that they play the most/a staple to bring to a tournament. This doesn't mean they don't own/don't play with other decks - it merely means it is their "normal" deck. There are many decks that I have the cards to build, but I'm not really familiar with so I wouldn't refer to them as "my deck."
I own just a large 1000 count box of legacy/vintage/EDH staples. Everything is double sleeved the same way and I just build whatever deck I want to play before a tournament. I usually play the same few decks, but I could probably make 10~ different competitive legacy decks (almost all them with in the UW or UB spectrum). I can make an a monoblue EDH deck with one of three generals and the contents of the other 99 cards changes by about 25 cards based on those generals. And I can make 3-5 vintage decks if proxies are allowed (I have nice homemade proxies I use).
Most of the players on message boards like this play (at least try to play) competitively. Casual play you don't really need to do as much discussion and development so there isn't really any end goal in doing so. You just build something fun and go play with it.
Also, Teia is very right that "fun" is very subjective. I found the idea of a causal theros block GW deck with savannahs mind numbingly boring. To me, fun is playing a high stakes/prized match of legacy with the deck I have tuned and tested for months (if not years) against a near equally skilled opponent who has done the same with his deck. And even then, I wouldnt just any legacy deck. There are certain ones I find fun, and others that while I respect, I do not personally find fun. Playing UWr Miracles, UB tezzeret and Scapewish Nic Fit in the context of competitive legacy is the most fun I have ever had playing magic in any form.
also depends on when you got into the game. i missed the boat on legacy, but got into modern during DKA, when everything was still cheap. the card pool i have enables me to put together something like 5 or 6 decks, though not at the same time. i can have 3ish decks available for play at any one time in the tier 1-2 bracket.
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I speak in sarcasm because calling people ******* ******** is not allowed.
I am certainly more casual than competitive. I have upwards of 24 decks put together at any given time. I love to play random decks at the kitchen table and frequently have my opponents pick a deck for me, plus I can lend them out when others want more variety. I usually have 2-3 standard decks (one competitive), a handful of modern (all somewhat competitive), lots of legacy/vintage (a couple competitive legacy), and 6 EDH. I hate pulling decks apart because trying to put them back together after that makes them worse. That's probably my imagination, but it sure seems that way.
I've seen both extremes, and everything in between. In my experience, better players have fewer decks, because they can easily put them back together, that and they usually want to test their current flavor.
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Hooked on Magic since The Dark.
Blue Rules. Berserk, Fork, Fork, Fork, Fork
"Does trample go around the table?"
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At any time, I have at least 3 Legacy decks constructed for playtesting and loaning to friends for competitive events. I have another 2 Modern decks (1 for me, 1 for my wife), and 2 Standard decks (whatever we're currently playing; these change often). I can probably construct another 4-5 Legacy/Modern decks, as many of the pieces overlap.
As for casual decks, I'm not the guy to speak to. I haven't played any casual decks in 10+ years. I occasionally brew some really bad standard decks for fun at FNM's or small events, but that's about as close as it gets. I also have a few decks from years past that were competitive at one time. I've kept them mostly for personal reasons, and I'll break them out every now and then just for fun: Tinker Stax, The Rock (the original one), Mirrodin block affinity pre-Skull Clamp ban, Psychatog, G/W Astral Slide, Scepter Control, Trix, etc.
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Currently playing:
Standard: I, for one, welcome our new rhinoceros overlords
Modern: Pod's dead, Bob's back.
Legacy: Lands, Deathblade, Death and Taxes, Elves, MUD
Retired Legacy: Merfolk, Goblins, Jund, Delver, Reanimator
I stick with 1 deck in legacy mainly due to have 4 lion's eye diamond and 1 taiga and 1 bayou. This means that I play belcher in green red or I play spanish inquisition in green black. Both have huge weaknesses and since I prefer storm 10000% over anything else I can do in legacy I focus on that. Also it is a cross over of my much earlier days of playing grim long in vintage and I still own all the cards to play said deck minus the power. For me it is a combination of time money and effort into a format. I spend way to much time out of magic so when I do get to a event it is usually legacy and I will always play storm because I luv luv luv crushing pre five minute mark. It is just what I deem fun and the archetype I have the most practice with. I do not have a casual play group anymore and I dropped edh due to it's insane price hike over the years and general unfun-ness of the multiplayer dynamic. Now That being said I still have 1 edh deck built that I play and know like storm in legacy and vintage and it is my "go to" deck but I also branched out into building a 5 player event. This is based on the guilds of RTR and they are guild decks based and built with only guild watermarked cards and 1 of each non watermarked overlapping card. This allows me a fun semi casual time with 4 friends were we can play decks with decently ranging power levels and not feel blown out all the time or the need to gang up on 1 person each time like in a normal game of edh.
You just have to find what best suites you. For me it was falling head over heals in love with storm. Then playing it so much that "when it counts" it is the only deck I want to play and really the only one I will have fun with. Sure I can build other decks but the look I get and that giddy feeling inside when I know I can combo out uninterrupted just can NOT be beat. It is that endorphin rush that keeps me playing a bad deck but at least it is "MY" deck. For me it is that feeling of confidence that the deck I am most comfortable WILL win once I duress and don't see force daze or spell pierce. It is the turn zero on the play balls to the wall combo that keeps me coming back. No other archetype gives me that rush and that makes all the rest seem boring.
I have 1 Standard deck (soon to be none since I don't plan to keep up after rotation), 1 Modern deck, and I don't know if we're counting these but I have the Battle the Horde and Defeat a God challenge decks.
I am certainly more casual than competitive. I have upwards of 24 decks put together at any given time. I love to play random decks at the kitchen table and frequently have my opponents pick a deck for me, plus I can lend them out when others want more variety. I usually have 2-3 standard decks (one competitive), a handful of modern (all somewhat competitive), lots of legacy/vintage (a couple competitive legacy), and 6 EDH. I hate pulling decks apart because trying to put them back together after that makes them worse. That's probably my imagination, but it sure seems that way.
I've seen both extremes, and everything in between. In my experience, better players have fewer decks, because they can easily put them back together, that and they usually want to test their current flavor.
You sound almost exactly like me actually. I have some strong decks, but I have tons of decks overall and I almost always have my friends pick my deck when we play. I just hold up the deck box and tell them to pick one lol.
I own just a large 1000 count box of legacy/vintage/EDH staples. Everything is double sleeved the same way and I just build whatever deck I want to play before a tournament. I usually play the same few decks, but I could probably make 10~ different competitive legacy decks (almost all them with in the UW or UB spectrum). I can make an a monoblue EDH deck with one of three generals and the contents of the other 99 cards changes by about 25 cards based on those generals. And I can make 3-5 vintage decks if proxies are allowed (I have nice homemade proxies I use).
Most of the players on message boards like this play (at least try to play) competitively. Casual play you don't really need to do as much discussion and development so there isn't really any end goal in doing so. You just build something fun and go play with it.
Also, Teia is very right that "fun" is very subjective. I found the idea of a causal theros block GW deck with savannahs mind numbingly boring. To me, fun is playing a high stakes/prized match of legacy with the deck I have tuned and tested for months (if not years) against a near equally skilled opponent who has done the same with his deck. And even then, I wouldnt just any legacy deck. There are certain ones I find fun, and others that while I respect, I do not personally find fun. Playing UWr Miracles, UB tezzeret and Scapewish Nic Fit in the context of competitive legacy is the most fun I have ever had playing magic in any form.
I see what you guys mean about fun. But, if I played my stronger decks (burn and infect) I'd destroy my buddies and neither of us would have that much fun. A G/W Theros block deck is just the thing to have a nice 10-15 turn game at the kitchen table with some whiskey and laughs
I wonder how much I'm missing by not playing against some serious decks or at least some really good players at a draft or something. I need to try it some time just to see how much fun it is (accepting that I'll get pwnt and just having the experience).
I own just a large 1000 count box of legacy/vintage/EDH staples. Everything is double sleeved the same way and I just build whatever deck I want to play before a tournament. I usually play the same few decks, but I could probably make 10~ different competitive legacy decks.
That's me as well. I have a bunch of Legacy staples all standardized in KMC perfect fits+hyper mattes and I just mix and match them into whatever decks I feel like playing. As my sig shows, I normally have four Legacy decks built at once as "Active decks" and a bunch of Inactive decks that I could conceivably build, but the other pieces are being used by the built decks.
So whenever people as me how many decks I have, I just say that I have four decks with an asterisk.
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Special thanks to Hakai Studios and SushiOtter for the sig!
Legacy:UR Sneak and Show IUBG Team America IX Metalworker MUD Modern:UBR Blue Jund IWBX Eldrazi Processors IX Affinity IWRG Nacatl Burn IGR Tron IUBR Grishoalbrand
There's an old poll somewhere on this very forum where ppl voted on how many decks they had. Not sure how deep it's buried but it's around somewhere...
I have a bunch of EDH decks mostly bc the color restrictions and play styles of the different decks vary so having multiple is a good thing to keep everything fun and interesting
I have a casual legacy deck ive litterally had for like 5 years havent taken it apart still adding stuff its my "never going away deck", i also have a standard deck and i dont really care what happens to as far as taking it apart especially as like 80% rotates with ravnica, i havnt really gotten to much into modern but i have build and taken apart a few casualish modern decks.
For the most part it depends on the formats people play like a legacy player most likely will find a deck the like and understand and simply play that and put lots of time and money into but unless the format drasticly shifts they will not really change it and the amount of work put into it makes it difficult to really focus on another legacy deck, vintage more so bc of power nine and what not expensive cards that are not banned like time vault. EDH is a pretty cheap format so building multiple decks is easy and as i said above each deck plays differently so if you want to play aggro you have an aggro deck, and so on. Standard always rotates so they get built and taken apart all the time. modern players from what i can tell seem to lay 1 or 2 decks a season and it is very dependent on what can win at any given time. it is much cheaper than legacy and a lot of cards are interchangeable so its easy to build new decks if you already have the cards.
I have an off-topic question for you EDH aficianados (sp?). How do you keep more than 1 EDH deck at any given time?
This is the problem I have. I put cards like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt in (nearly) every EDH deck I have. The reason is whether I want to cast something that is usually turn 4 on turn 2 or something from turn 6 on turn 3, those mana rocks can possibly help me get there in a small percentage of games. I do have more than 1 Sol Ring, so at least I can keep parts of several decks together, but I only have 1 Mana Crypt. Also this is another thing that has given me problems keeping Legacy decks together. If you have a playset of fetches that you are using in a Modern deck and only own a playset, what do you do? For example, Misty Rainforest is used in so many decks. I usually have to use a deck that I'm not using that particular day with proxies (although I still need to get those online "same card" proxies done).
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Also this is another thing that has given me problems keeping Legacy decks together. If you have a playset of fetches that you are using in a Modern deck and only own a playset, what do you do? For example, Misty Rainforest is used in so many decks. I usually have to use a deck that I'm not using that particular day with proxies (although I still need to get those online "same card" proxies done).
Fetches, and duals to a lesser extent, are the biggest constraint I have on maintaining decks. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for a reprint on the fetches, as that will solve 90% of the problem by freeing up all of the fetches I have in Modern decks. The problem becomes even more complicated with the current Standard format tying up my shock lands, Thoughtseize, and a few other cards. I've alleviated some of the problem by sleeving all of my decks uniformly (KMC Hyper Matte blacks, double sleeved w/ perfect fits) so I can change cards in and out easily, but it's still a pain to keep up with which deckboxes currently have which cards in them. Yea, 1st world problems, humble brag, etc. It's a tough life. I also sold off a lot of extra Legacy decks I'm no longer playing, but I still find myself shuffling around to find Wastelands and other staples when switching between certain decks.
Other than owning multiple playsets of key cards, I don't have a better solution. As they reprint staples (Thoughtseize being a HUGE relief now that I can trade for and afford to keep multiple playsets), things get easier. Over the last couple years, I've also made a point to grab multiple playsets of good cards that are going to see play across multiple decks. I've got 3 extra playsets of both Deathrite Shaman and Abrupt Decay for just this reason. Worse case scenario, I end up trading/selling the extras I don't need as the prices go up after rotation.
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Currently playing:
Standard: I, for one, welcome our new rhinoceros overlords
Modern: Pod's dead, Bob's back.
Legacy: Lands, Deathblade, Death and Taxes, Elves, MUD
Retired Legacy: Merfolk, Goblins, Jund, Delver, Reanimator
Right now, I have 1 Standard deck (G/B Dredge; will be 0 after rotation), 2 Modern Decks (G/W Pod and UW/r Resto-Kiki), and 3 and a half Legacy decks (G/W Enchantress, UW/r Delver, Strix Pod, and LED Dredge that doesn't have a sideboard put together.)
Right now, I just try to pick up key pieces of decks a little at a time when I can and avoid buying cards in Standard unless they will be used in Modern / Legacy (i.e. cards like Abrupt Decay, Voice of Resurgence and Young Pyromancer are fine to pick up even if they are in standard)
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Former Level 2 Judge (Retired / Renounced)
Went to a new shop from a friend's recommendation, DQ'ed for willful violation of CR 100.6b.
I have a feeling this thread is going to devolve into a dick waving competition real soon. So I guess I'll stoke the flames a little bit.
I have most of the big staples in legacy and modern all in kmc perfect fits and all my decks in orange kmc supers. In my bag atm, I have uwr miracles, bgw junk and death and taxes for lwgacy and a scapeshift deck for modern and a mono black Maga EDH deck also in perfect fits. I might only have 4 wastelands, but because of my standardization of my collection, I can easily move them between my Junk deck or death and taxes
Understand, Dredge is not really a Magic: The Gathering deck. When a card is playable in it, it doesn't mean it's a tournament playable card. It means it's playable in whatever crazy fantasy world that Dredge operates in.
I have an off-topic question for you EDH aficianados (sp?). How do you keep more than 1 EDH deck at any given time?
This is the problem I have. I put cards like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt in (nearly) every EDH deck I have. The reason is whether I want to cast something that is usually turn 4 on turn 2 or something from turn 6 on turn 3, those mana rocks can possibly help me get there in a small percentage of games. I do have more than 1 Sol Ring, so at least I can keep parts of several decks together, but I only have 1 Mana Crypt. Also this is another thing that has given me problems keeping Legacy decks together. If you have a playset of fetches that you are using in a Modern deck and only own a playset, what do you do? For example, Misty Rainforest is used in so many decks. I usually have to use a deck that I'm not using that particular day with proxies (although I still need to get those online "same card" proxies done).
For different EDH decks, I just have 1 real copy of each of the cards and then print high quality proxies to use for the others. From across a table, it looks like a real card so it does not distract from gameplay, and no one has ever given me a hard time about when I explain that I do own the cards I am proxying. If I ever do an "official" EDH game, like a GP side event, I just make sure I put all the real copies into the deck I am using so there is no issue. I do this with legacy staples that overlap with my EDH deck too.
For other constructed decks, I'd recommend doing what Grand Superior and I do: sleeve all your constructed playables the same way. Unless you are loning decks out a lot, its pointless to have 3 playsets FoW and blue fetches 3 different blue legacy decks. Just own one set of those staples and move them around. I only ever have 1 legacy deck built, but in just a few minutes I could change that deck to one of the other 10 legacy decks I can build.
For Eternal formats, it is common for a player to maintain one deck and play it a lot. This reduces the costs, because they only need to acquire a few cards now and then as the format changes. And it allows them to become very adept with the deck.
Personally, I like deck building. I maintain a competitive Modern Kiki-Pod deck. I have a few less competitive modern decks I rebuild or tweak from time to time. I have one Standard deck together but I change Standard decks frequently, usually not Tier 1 lists.
And I have many Commander decks and rebuild them pretty frequently.
I have 20 Commander decks, 2 Modern decks (both of which can be transformed in to varying other Modern decks with similar cards) and 0 Standard decks.
It's too late for me to get into Legacy at any reasonable price, so I focused all my competitive aspirations on Modern. As for casual play, it's obvious that I went a bet overboard for Commander
For people saying it's too late to get into Legacy, I don't envy the uphill battle of breaking in at this point, but it's definitely still doable. Perhaps too late to build a big collection, but for the price of a competitive standard deck you can easily sleeve up Burn, which has become a Tier 1 (or 1.5 at worst) deck with the printing of Eidolon of the Great Revel. In the past 3 weeks Burn has won an SCG open and been in the top 4 of another (in the hands of a 13 year old!). Several other decks are affordable too. Blue duals are expensive and not coming back. Force of Will and Wasteland are expensive, and apparently not getting much cheaper. But there are several competitive decks that can be put together in the $500 - $1000 range. Obviously a lot of money, but if you slow build it over time, it's definitely doable. Most of that will be in fetches too, which is good to have in any eternal format collection. The vast majority of any Legacy deck is going to be playable in Modern too. If you slow-build a Legacy deck, it'll be your baby, you'll be proud of it, and you'll become an expert in the deck. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't give up on Legacy people! It's an amazing format.
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TL;DR: Do most people only keep and play with one deck or is it common to have several decks?
I've been playing off and on since 4th Edition but only ever with my friends. This means I don't have much connection to the outside greater Magic community. I've never done any drafts or tournaments or anything like that. So, In the last couple years I've been reading this forum and others more and more to try to connect with the rest of the Magic world (maybe sometime I'll actually go play with strangers at a card shop lol).
Anyway, I've noticed that I see a LOT of people in these threads reference "their deck" when participating in discussions. It seems that most people only have one deck. Is this true? I have at least 10-15 decks at any given time and I don't consider any of them "my deck" in the sense that they're the only thing I play. That seems like it would get boring as hell. My assumption is that people pay strict adherence to the formats and so when they say "my deck" they mean within a given format? So if you're only a legacy player you would typically only have one legacy deck?
None of my decks really conform to any format which is why I think I'm having a hard time getting my mind around this. For example, I recently built a g/w deck from all Theros block cards... and 4 Savannahs. I guess technically its Legacy then, but it would get destroyed by any real Legacy decks.
That reminds me of another thing. I notice when most people discuss formats they always talk in terms of the specific known powerful decks in that format. There seems to be no room for what my friends and I call "fun decks." I know there is a casual section of this forum and stuff like that is discussed there, but everything else is discussed as either playable or trash (usually in reference to the known good decks in a format), leaving no room for discussion about a cards pure fun factor it seems like.
No idea where I'm going with this I guess, just noticing how different the online MTG community is from my playgroup.
A. Obviously price
B. Deck building for a competitive event is hard. Incredibly hard. Going rogue usually means intense meta knowledge, a really good idea, and a lot of luck.
C. There are some decks that take a LOT of time to learn. I've been playing death and taxes for a long, long time and still haven't perfected my play with it. There are just that many lines of play from vialing flickerwisp and bouncing all your creatures.
As for finding fun ideas though, I see that all the time in the deck building section! They're not usually optimal but occasionally they hit on a truly interesting idea. I do think part of it though is a lot of the sorta players you are looking for gravitate toward edh. There's just more flexibility and forgiveness in those builds. You're not on a turn 4 deadline like in modern haha.
Also, I disagree with the implication that "competitive deck" and "fun" are mutually exclusive. Fun is extremely subjective, and many players consider competitive decks to be fun even if other players don't (in a general sense, why play this game if you're not having fun? So it stands to reason that their definition of fun is simply different than yours, and neither is any more objectively right than the other).
. That's why it's "MY DECK" because I play it in competitive play. The rest of my decks are casual decks, even though they are expensive, I play them in a casual setting with friends.You can have many decks, there is no problems with that. Although if you are going to play competitively, definitely stick too one deck and work at it. It's just too difficult to practice with multiple decks.
U Merfolk | GR Tron | WUR Jeskai Control | WBG Abzan Company
EDH:
G Ezuri, Renegade Leader, Fighting for Rivendell
WU Brago, King Eternal, Long Live the King
WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon, Worship the Dragon
Most of the players on message boards like this play (at least try to play) competitively. Casual play you don't really need to do as much discussion and development so there isn't really any end goal in doing so. You just build something fun and go play with it.
Also, Teia is very right that "fun" is very subjective. I found the idea of a causal theros block GW deck with savannahs mind numbingly boring. To me, fun is playing a high stakes/prized match of legacy with the deck I have tuned and tested for months (if not years) against a near equally skilled opponent who has done the same with his deck. And even then, I wouldnt just any legacy deck. There are certain ones I find fun, and others that while I respect, I do not personally find fun. Playing UWr Miracles, UB tezzeret and Scapewish Nic Fit in the context of competitive legacy is the most fun I have ever had playing magic in any form.
I've seen both extremes, and everything in between. In my experience, better players have fewer decks, because they can easily put them back together, that and they usually want to test their current flavor.
Hooked on Magic since The Dark.
Blue Rules.
Berserk, Fork, Fork, Fork, Fork
"Does trample go around the table?"
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I have 2 modern decks
That's about it.
As for casual decks, I'm not the guy to speak to. I haven't played any casual decks in 10+ years. I occasionally brew some really bad standard decks for fun at FNM's or small events, but that's about as close as it gets. I also have a few decks from years past that were competitive at one time. I've kept them mostly for personal reasons, and I'll break them out every now and then just for fun: Tinker Stax, The Rock (the original one), Mirrodin block affinity pre-Skull Clamp ban, Psychatog, G/W Astral Slide, Scepter Control, Trix, etc.
Standard: I, for one, welcome our new rhinoceros overlords
Modern: Pod's dead, Bob's back.
Legacy: Lands, Deathblade, Death and Taxes, Elves, MUD
Retired Legacy: Merfolk, Goblins, Jund, Delver, Reanimator
You just have to find what best suites you. For me it was falling head over heals in love with storm. Then playing it so much that "when it counts" it is the only deck I want to play and really the only one I will have fun with. Sure I can build other decks but the look I get and that giddy feeling inside when I know I can combo out uninterrupted just can NOT be beat. It is that endorphin rush that keeps me playing a bad deck but at least it is "MY" deck. For me it is that feeling of confidence that the deck I am most comfortable WILL win once I duress and don't see force daze or spell pierce. It is the turn zero on the play balls to the wall combo that keeps me coming back. No other archetype gives me that rush and that makes all the rest seem boring.
So a total of 5.
You sound almost exactly like me actually. I have some strong decks, but I have tons of decks overall and I almost always have my friends pick my deck when we play. I just hold up the deck box and tell them to pick one lol.
I see what you guys mean about fun. But, if I played my stronger decks (burn and infect) I'd destroy my buddies and neither of us would have that much fun. A G/W Theros block deck is just the thing to have a nice 10-15 turn game at the kitchen table with some whiskey and laughs
I wonder how much I'm missing by not playing against some serious decks or at least some really good players at a draft or something. I need to try it some time just to see how much fun it is (accepting that I'll get pwnt and just having the experience).
That's me as well. I have a bunch of Legacy staples all standardized in KMC perfect fits+hyper mattes and I just mix and match them into whatever decks I feel like playing. As my sig shows, I normally have four Legacy decks built at once as "Active decks" and a bunch of Inactive decks that I could conceivably build, but the other pieces are being used by the built decks.
So whenever people as me how many decks I have, I just say that I have four decks with an asterisk.
Special thanks to Hakai Studios and SushiOtter for the sig!
Legacy: UR Sneak and Show I UBG Team America I X Metalworker MUD
Modern: UBR Blue Jund I WBX Eldrazi Processors I X Affinity I WRG Nacatl Burn I GR Tron I UBR Grishoalbrand
I have a casual legacy deck ive litterally had for like 5 years havent taken it apart still adding stuff its my "never going away deck", i also have a standard deck and i dont really care what happens to as far as taking it apart especially as like 80% rotates with ravnica, i havnt really gotten to much into modern but i have build and taken apart a few casualish modern decks.
For the most part it depends on the formats people play like a legacy player most likely will find a deck the like and understand and simply play that and put lots of time and money into but unless the format drasticly shifts they will not really change it and the amount of work put into it makes it difficult to really focus on another legacy deck, vintage more so bc of power nine and what not expensive cards that are not banned like time vault. EDH is a pretty cheap format so building multiple decks is easy and as i said above each deck plays differently so if you want to play aggro you have an aggro deck, and so on. Standard always rotates so they get built and taken apart all the time. modern players from what i can tell seem to lay 1 or 2 decks a season and it is very dependent on what can win at any given time. it is much cheaper than legacy and a lot of cards are interchangeable so its easy to build new decks if you already have the cards.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion Combo
GUEzuri, Claw of progress Morph
GUBSidisi, Brood tyrant
RWGisela, Blade of Goldnight Random red white cards i dont use.dec
GBLoam Pox
Modern
UBFaeries
GBWGoyfless Abzan
On Squirrels
On Risen Executioner
This is the problem I have. I put cards like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt in (nearly) every EDH deck I have. The reason is whether I want to cast something that is usually turn 4 on turn 2 or something from turn 6 on turn 3, those mana rocks can possibly help me get there in a small percentage of games. I do have more than 1 Sol Ring, so at least I can keep parts of several decks together, but I only have 1 Mana Crypt. Also this is another thing that has given me problems keeping Legacy decks together. If you have a playset of fetches that you are using in a Modern deck and only own a playset, what do you do? For example, Misty Rainforest is used in so many decks. I usually have to use a deck that I'm not using that particular day with proxies (although I still need to get those online "same card" proxies done).
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Fetches, and duals to a lesser extent, are the biggest constraint I have on maintaining decks. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for a reprint on the fetches, as that will solve 90% of the problem by freeing up all of the fetches I have in Modern decks. The problem becomes even more complicated with the current Standard format tying up my shock lands, Thoughtseize, and a few other cards. I've alleviated some of the problem by sleeving all of my decks uniformly (KMC Hyper Matte blacks, double sleeved w/ perfect fits) so I can change cards in and out easily, but it's still a pain to keep up with which deckboxes currently have which cards in them. Yea, 1st world problems, humble brag, etc. It's a tough life. I also sold off a lot of extra Legacy decks I'm no longer playing, but I still find myself shuffling around to find Wastelands and other staples when switching between certain decks.
Other than owning multiple playsets of key cards, I don't have a better solution. As they reprint staples (Thoughtseize being a HUGE relief now that I can trade for and afford to keep multiple playsets), things get easier. Over the last couple years, I've also made a point to grab multiple playsets of good cards that are going to see play across multiple decks. I've got 3 extra playsets of both Deathrite Shaman and Abrupt Decay for just this reason. Worse case scenario, I end up trading/selling the extras I don't need as the prices go up after rotation.
Standard: I, for one, welcome our new rhinoceros overlords
Modern: Pod's dead, Bob's back.
Legacy: Lands, Deathblade, Death and Taxes, Elves, MUD
Retired Legacy: Merfolk, Goblins, Jund, Delver, Reanimator
Right now, I just try to pick up key pieces of decks a little at a time when I can and avoid buying cards in Standard unless they will be used in Modern / Legacy (i.e. cards like Abrupt Decay, Voice of Resurgence and Young Pyromancer are fine to pick up even if they are in standard)
Went to a new shop from a friend's recommendation, DQ'ed for willful violation of CR 100.6b.
Have played duals? I have PucaPoints for them!
(Credit to DarkNightCavalier)
$tandard: Too poor.
Modern:
- GW Birthing Pod(?)
Legacy:
- UWR Delver
I have most of the big staples in legacy and modern all in kmc perfect fits and all my decks in orange kmc supers. In my bag atm, I have uwr miracles, bgw junk and death and taxes for lwgacy and a scapeshift deck for modern and a mono black Maga EDH deck also in perfect fits. I might only have 4 wastelands, but because of my standardization of my collection, I can easily move them between my Junk deck or death and taxes
Modern:
Something new every week
Legacy:
Something new everyweek
For different EDH decks, I just have 1 real copy of each of the cards and then print high quality proxies to use for the others. From across a table, it looks like a real card so it does not distract from gameplay, and no one has ever given me a hard time about when I explain that I do own the cards I am proxying. If I ever do an "official" EDH game, like a GP side event, I just make sure I put all the real copies into the deck I am using so there is no issue. I do this with legacy staples that overlap with my EDH deck too.
For other constructed decks, I'd recommend doing what Grand Superior and I do: sleeve all your constructed playables the same way. Unless you are loning decks out a lot, its pointless to have 3 playsets FoW and blue fetches 3 different blue legacy decks. Just own one set of those staples and move them around. I only ever have 1 legacy deck built, but in just a few minutes I could change that deck to one of the other 10 legacy decks I can build.
Personally, I like deck building. I maintain a competitive Modern Kiki-Pod deck. I have a few less competitive modern decks I rebuild or tweak from time to time. I have one Standard deck together but I change Standard decks frequently, usually not Tier 1 lists.
And I have many Commander decks and rebuild them pretty frequently.
Check out Odds//Ends - My articles on Quirky Cards and Oddball Builds
Long-time PucaTrade member and sometime author. Send me cards!
Currently playing Knight of the Reliquary - Retreat to Coralhelm Combo
It's too late for me to get into Legacy at any reasonable price, so I focused all my competitive aspirations on Modern. As for casual play, it's obvious that I went a bet overboard for Commander
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